This invention relates to a fishing reel, more particularly a clutch mechanism for transmitting or non-transmitting a torque between a handle and a spool.
A clutch mechanism of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,422 dated Mar. 29, 1977, in which a pinion meshing with a main gear rotated by a handle is fitted over a main rod to be slidable in the axial direction, a clutch cam is disposed between a clutch lever secured to the lever and a base plate so as to disengage the pinion from the main rod by rotating the clutch cam and to reengage the pinion and main rod by rotating a ratchet wheel which rotates coaxially with the main gear.
This prior art fishing reel, however, is constructed such that when the torque is non-transmitted, one end of the clutch cam is caused to directly engage between teeth of the ratchet wheel as the clutch cam is rotated, and when the torque is transmitted again the end is kicked as the ratchet is rotated to rotate a kickless clutch in the opposite direction. For this reason there is a tendency to cause a tightening phenomenon between the tips of the teeth and the aforementioned end. Since occurrence of such tightening phenomenon is proportional to the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel, it is necessary to reduce, as much as possible, the number of the ratchet teeth. This requires an increase in the angle of rotation of the ratchet wheel or the handle at the time of retransmitting the torque with the result that the operation becomes slow and it becomes impossible to quickly respond to the resistance of a fish.